IP Library Granted Patent US 11,378,430
Granted Patent B2
US 11,378,430 · App. 16/806,967 · Granted Jul 5, 2022

Air detection system and method for detecting air in a pump of an infusion system

Inventors: Timothy L. Ruchti (Gurnee, IL); Brian G. Markey (Park Forest, IL); Anatoly S. Belkin (Glenview, IL); Paul T. Kotnik (Commerce Township, MI); Mohammad M. Khair (Streamwood, IL)
Assignee: ICU Medical, Inc.
G01F1/74A61M5/16831A61M5/365F04B43/0081F04B51/00A61M2205/331
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,378,430
App. No.
16/806,967
Granted
Jul 5, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various systems and methods for detecting air in a chamber of an infusion system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a determination is made that air is contained in the chamber on the basis of a change in the average force exerted against the plunger utilizing a derivative spike for event detection and a systematic reduction in the average force to confirm the nature of the change. In another embodiment, a determination is made that the chamber contains air when a difference between the current force profile and a baseline force profile crosses a threshold. In an additional embodiment, a force profile is classified as being an air force profile or a liquid force profile based on extracted features of the force profile.

Claims (29)

1. A method for detecting air in a chamber of an infusion system comprising:

moving a plunger against the chamber containing fluid;

detecting a force acting on the plunger as it moves against the chamber;

preprocessing a force profile based on the detected force acting on the plunger;

extracting features from the force profile; and

classifying the force profile as being an air force profile or a liquid force profile based on the extracted features,

wherein the preprocessing comprises: acquiring the force profile; re-sampling the force profile for a set of angles; selecting a sub-set of angles for the force profile; and calculating a derivative of the force profile based on the force profile at the sub-set of angles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the classification of the force profile as being the air force profile or the liquid force profile is done without applying signal normalization to normalize to a baseline force profile.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-processing comprises: applying a low pass filter to the force profile; applying a range limit to the force profile; and calculating a difference between the force profile and a baseline or mean force profile.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extraction of the features comprises calculating scores of the force profile or applying a linear discriminate analysis to the force profile.

5. A system for detecting air in a chamber of an infusion system, the system comprising one or more hardware processors configured to:

detect a force acting on a plunger as it moves against the chamber containing fluid;

preprocess a force profile based on the detected force acting on the plunger;

extract features from the force profile; and

classify the force profile as being an air force profile or a liquid force profile based on the extracted features,

wherein the preprocessing comprises: acquiring the force profile; re-sampling the force profile for a set of angles; selecting a sub-set of angles for the force profile; and calculating a derivative of the force profile based on the force profile at the sub-set of angles.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the classification of the force profile as being the air force profile or the liquid force profile is done without applying signal normalization to normalize to a baseline force profile.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the pre-processing comprises: applying a low pass filter to the force profile; applying a range limit to the force profile; and calculating a difference between the force profile and a baseline or mean force profile.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the extraction of the features comprises calculating scores of the force profile or applying a linear discriminate analysis to the force profile.

9. A non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions when executed by one or more hardware processors cause for detecting air in a chamber of an infusion system, the one or more hardware processors configured to implement a process comprising:

detecting a force acting on a plunger as it moves against the chamber containing fluid;

preprocessing a force profile based on the detected force acting on the plunger; extracting features from the force profile; and

classifying the force profile as being an air force profile or a liquid force profile based on the extracted features,

wherein the preprocessing comprises: acquiring the force profile; re-sampling the force profile for a set of angles; selecting a sub-set of angles for the force profile; and calculating a derivative of the force profile based on the force profile at the sub-set of angles.

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the classification of the force profile as being the air force profile or the liquid force profile is done without applying signal normalization to normalize to a baseline force profile.

11. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the preprocessing comprises: applying a low pass filter to the force profile.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the preprocessing comprises: applying a range limit to the force profile.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the preprocessing comprises: calculating a difference between the force profile and a baseline or mean force profile.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the extraction of features comprises calculating scores of the force profile or applying a linear discriminate analysis to the force profile.

Assignments (1)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 31, 2022
From: ICU MEDICAL, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 059618/0412 →